The Clok Blog
Practical UK guides for agency workers, sole traders, the self-employed, and small business teams — take-home pay, PAYE tax, employer NI, invoicing, holiday pay, and time tracking. Real numbers, current rates, no jargon.
PAYE · Holiday pay · Umbrella
Agency workers · PAYE · 10 Jul 2026
You know your hourly rate. You know your hours. But what actually hits your bank account after Income Tax, National Insurance, and pension? Here's how it works — with real numbers for 2026/27.
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PAYE · Beginners · 24 Jul 2026
What PAYE actually means, how tax codes work, and where your money goes — broken down step by step with the 2026/27 rates. No accounting degree required.
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Umbrella vs PAYE · 31 Jul 2026
Side-by-side comparison with real numbers. See exactly how umbrella margins, employer NI, and pension contributions affect your take-home — and which option wins for your situation.
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Holiday pay · AWR · 7 Aug 2026
How the 12.07% accrual method works, how long it takes to earn a week off (331 hours ≈ 8.3 weeks), new April 2026 record-keeping rules, and your AWR rights after 12 weeks.
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Tax · Invoicing · Time tracking
Sole traders · Tax · 14 Aug 2026
The 30% rule, real worked examples at £20k, £40k, and £60k profit, and exactly how Income Tax and Class 4 NI stack up. Know your number before the bill arrives.
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Sole traders · Invoicing · 21 Aug 2026
What every invoice must include, how to number them, when to chase late payments, and how to avoid the most common invoicing mistakes that cost sole traders money.
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Sole traders · Limited companies · 28 Aug 2026
Real take-home comparisons at £30k, £50k, and £80k profit. Income Tax vs Corporation Tax + dividend tax — the full breakdown with a summary table.
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Self-employed · Time tracking · 4 Sept 2026
Why tracking your hours properly saves you money at year-end, makes invoicing accurate, and supports expense claims. Plus: the real cost of spreadsheet tracking vs an app.
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Employer NI · Holiday entitlement · Team management
Small business · Time tracking · 11 Sept 2026
Still running team timesheets in Excel? Here's why spreadsheet time tracking costs UK small businesses 6+ hours a week — and how a mobile time tracker eliminates the admin, errors, and chasing.
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Employers · Holiday entitlement · 18 Sept 2026
Statutory 5.6 weeks explained, 12.07% for variable-hours staff, carry-over rules, and how to track holiday entitlement without spreadsheets. Real examples for full-time, part-time, and zero-hour workers.
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Employers · National Insurance · 25 Sept 2026
Employer's National Insurance at 15% explained with real numbers. See the true cost of employing someone at £20k, £30k, and £40k salaries — plus pensions, apprenticeship levy, and hidden costs.
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Employers · Zero-hour contracts · 2 Oct 2026
Worker rights, holiday pay accrual at 12.07%, exclusivity bans, and how to track variable-hours staff properly. A practical guide with real examples for employers navigating zero-hour contracts.
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Clok tracks your hours, generates PDF invoices, and shows your real take-home after tax — all from your phone.
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